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masculinity

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Why don’t we value a masculinity that embraces tenderness and care? Tony Liu shares the life-affirming joy of his male friendships, and how they have opened him to the possibility of a masculinity that is more nourishing.

What would it mean to rethink our definition of masculinity? Jonathan P. Higgins calls for an unlearning of our warped understanding of what it means to be a man, and a new definition that makes space for wholeness.

“For a long time, I thought wrestling had changed me. Yet wrestling did not erase my fear — it only made my body stronger, more the equal of my heart.” A former wrestler reflects on the strength the sport was able to give him — and the courage he discovered he had carried inside all along.

Courtney Martin delves into America's dysfunctional relationship with sex, money, and power — and calls for a rethinking of sex education, to reflect the actual complexity and broad range of how human sexuality gets expressed and must be honored.

#MeToo testimonies are flooding our social media feeds. And for men, realizing complicity can be uncomfortable. Our columnist sees this collective discomfort as a spiritual challenge — one that men must meet earnestly, first in themselves, and then in each other.

A lack of intimate friendships doesn’t just lead to loneliness; it can negatively impact your health, too. Courtney Martin on the particular importance of meaningful relationships between men — and how it can add a few years to men’s lives, to boot.

More and more fathers-to-be are expressing hopes to have daughters. Courtney Martin explores the well-intentioned feminism behind this desire, and finds that focusing on masculinity might be even more radical.

A longtime yogi sees fatherhood through the lens of the complementary balance of effort and ease, strength and softness.

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The Pause is our Saturday morning newsletter, a gathering of threads from the far-flung, ongoing conversation that is The On Being Project. Stay up to date with our latest podcasts, writings, live events, and more.